Liquid dispensing installations



Dec. 16,1952 G. YOUNG ETAL 2,621,908

LIQUID 4DISPENSING INSTALLATIONS Filed Nov. 5. 194'? FIGZ.

.. #tto/*Ways Patented Dec. 16, 1952 LIQUID DISPENSING INSTALLATIONS George Young, David Tosh Laing, and John Hay Walls, Edinburgh, Scotland; said Laing assignor to said Young and said Walls Application November 5, 1947, Serial No. 784,204` In Great Britain October 12, 1946 l Claim.

This invention relates to installations for dispensing beer or other aerated beverages in which the beverage overiiowing from the measuring vessels during filling thereof is collected in a drip tray or other vessel for subsequent admixture with the live beverage delivered by the delivery tap.

Our invention is concerned with installations in which the beer or other liquid is supplied under pressure to .a delivery tap.

According to our invention the delivery tap is of the injector type comprising an outflow passage in the tap for the live beverage, said passage being arranged to induce the flow of returned liquid by suction within the tap through one or more induction passages provided in the tap for the admission of the returned liquid and for its admixture with the live beverage delivered by the tap.

In carrying out the invention the delivery tap contains a constricted passage or nozzle through which the live beverage issues when the tap is turned to open the live beverage supply to the tap, said constricted passage or nozzle opening into a wider passage in the tap forming a low pressure region which is in communication with an inlet port in the tap for the admission of the returned liquid, said inlet port being connected by a supply pipe to the drip tray or other vessel in which the overflowing liquid is collected for return to the delivery tap.

The said supply pipe may be tted with a handcontrolled valve for cutting-01T the supply of returned liquid to the delivery tap.

The delivery tap may also be of the two-way or three-way type having the passages therein so constructed that the tap can be moved from a closed position into either of two positions, in one of which the returned liquid is drawn into and admixed with the live beverage issuing from the tap, while in the other open position of the tap the supply of returned liquid to the tap is cut off and only live beverage is delivered.

Gur invention may be applied to counter or wall founts by suitably connecting the tap of the iount to the live beer supply pipe and to the returned beer supply pipe, and in the case of counter founts of the pillar or wall bracket type, the pillar or bracket arm may be provided with a pair of parallel passages for connection to the live beer supply and returned beer pipes respectively.

In our invention no valve is required in. the returned beer supply pipe for controlling the supply of returned beer to the delivery tap.

Although the present invention is primarily concerned with beer dispensing installations, it can also be used for dispensing other liquids supplied under pressure to the delivery tap, and the term "liver beverage where used herein is to be understood as including any other liquid sup-- plied under pressure to the delivery tap.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 illustrates, in vertical section, one example of the invention applied to a counter iount of the pillar type. Fig. 2 illustrates a modileation applied to a wall fount.

In the example illustrated in Fig. l, a delivery tap I of the truncated conical plug type is rotatably fitted in a tap housing 2 formed on the end of a bracket arm 3 which is secured upon a pillar 4. A diametral passage 5 is formed through the tap I and can be registered with a live beverage supply passage 6 formed in the arm 3. An axial passage I0 is formed in the lower end of the tap I and communicates at its upper end with the diametral passage 5. A nozzle 'I is screw-threaded into or otherwise secured in the upper end of the passage I. A radial passage 8 is also formed in the tap I and can be registered with a returned liquid passage 9 formed in the arm 3, the passage 8 being so arranged that in one position of the tap I, the two passages 5 -and register simultaneously and respectively with the passages 6 and 9. The passage 8 is also so arranged and the nozzle l is of such a length that it partially obstructs the inner end of the passage 8. Both the nozzle 'I and passage 8 open into the axial passage ID which forms a low pressure region when liquid issues from the nozzle 1.

Secured in the lower end of the tap I is a spout II. To retain the tap I rotatably in the tap housing 2, the spout II is conveniently externally screw-threaded to receive an internally screwthreaded locking ring or nut I2 adapted to press a packing washer I3 against the lower end of the housing 2. The tap I may, however, be rotatably retained in the housing 2 by any other suitable means.

An air inlet passage I4 Imay be formed in the housing 2 opposite the passage 8 so that when the tap I is turned through 180 degrees from the position shown in the drawing, the passage I4 registers with the passage 8 and admits air to the tap for admixture with the liquid issuing from the tap.

When the tap is turned through degrees from the position shown in the drawing, the tap closes the ends of the passages 5 and 9 so that no liquid issues from the tap.

In the example illustrated, the passages 6 and 9 communicate with a pair of parallel pipes I5 and I6 respectively, which are tted through the pillar 4 and through a base I'I by means of which the pillar 4 may be mounted on a counter I8. The pipe I5 is adapted to be connected to the live beer supply pipe and the pipe I6 -to the returned beer pipe.

If desired, and as illustrated in Fig. 2, the returned liquid passage may be replaced by a pipe I9 tted externally of the arm 3 and arranged to open into a radial passage formed in an annular housing 20 surrounding the tap I in the region I of the passage 8, such annular housing 20 being non-rotatably tted below the tap housing 2 and provided if desired with an air inlet passage such as I4. In such case the tap projects below the housing 2 and the nozzle 'I and passage 8 are formed in that portion of the tap which is enclosed by the annular housing 20.

We claim:

A beverage dispensing device for delivering a gasied beverage under pressure either alone or admixed with an auxiliary non-gasied beverage or admixed with atmospheric air comprising a valve housing having a gasied beverage supply port and an auxiliary beverage supply port therein, said ports being in spaced longitudinally aligned relationship, a valve plug rotatably fitted in said housing, an atmospheric air inlet passage in said valve housing diametrically opposite said auxiliary beverage supply port, a diametral gasied beverage conducting passage in said plug, a radial auxiliary beverage conducting passage in said plug, said diametral passage being registrable with said gassied beverage supply port in either of two diametrically opposite positions of said plug, -and said radial passage being registrable with said auxiliary beverage supply port in the one of said plug positions and registering with said atmospheric air inlet passage in the diametrically opposite position of said plug, an axially positioned nozzle in said valve member and opening at its inner end into said diametral passage and projecting at its outer end into said radial passage, and an axial outlet passage in said plug and wider than said nozzle, said axial outlet passage opening at its inner end into said radial passage and opening at its outer end through one end of said plug.

GEORGE YOUNG.

DAVID TOSH LAING.

JOHN HAY WALLS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the y le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,347,576 Cornish July 27, 1920 1,481,985 Chrisman Jan. 29, 1924 1,553,299 Adams Sept. 15, 1925 2,354,695 McGlashan et al. Aug. l, 1944 

